Why does people say it's raining cats and dogs?

Question

When it is raining really hard

Answer 1

Because if it was raining cows and elephants, people could get hurt.

Answer 2

I once heard something like there is somewhere in the world (possibly India or China) where cats and/or dogs hang out (bear with me here) on the rooves of closely packed housing, and these houses mainly have corrugated iron rooves and when it rains really hard they lose their footing and sometimes slip off, hence it looks like it's raining cats and dogs! :)

Answer 3

Do a Google/Yahoo search for "originator of raining cats and dogs" and that should answer your question with a lot of resources.

Best

Answer 4

Just an expression?!?!

Answer 5

I am not sure.  They just does.

Answer 6

That is just a figure of speech, which is a language question. It is better asked in the language section of society & culture.

Answer 7

Depends where you live..Some folks in the farm country say it's "raining pitchforks".. Out in the ranch country they may say.."raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock"..

I suppose if were stranded on a south pacific island, you might say..it's "raining coconuts"